Geranium named Americana Light Salmon

ABSTRACT

A new and distinctive Geranium cultivar particularly distinguished by its light salmon colored double flowers, its green foliage and vigorous growth and superior cutting productivity.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium,botanically known as Pelargonium hortorum Bailey. The new cultivar ispropagated from a seedling resulting from the cross of a seed parent"Regina" and the pollen parent "Pink Camellia."

This new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program intended tocreate new Geranium cultivars with light salmon colored flowers,semi-double flower form, green foliage, vigorous growth and superiorcutting productivity.

This new cultivar was created in 1988 in Gilroy, Calif. and has beenrepeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Gilroy, Calif. andGuatemala over a two year period. It has also been trialed at Okemos,Mich. It has been found to retain its distinctive characteristicsthrough successive propagations; and this novelty appears to be firmlyfixed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new geranium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographicdrawing which shows blooms, buds, and foliage of the plant in fullcolor, the colors shown being as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of this new geranium cultivar. The data which definesthese characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carriedout by Goldsmith Seeds, Inc. in Gilroy, Calif. The plant history wastaken on 9 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in agreenhouse and color readings were taken in the greenhouse (in Gilroy,Calif.) on Sep. 26, 1990 at 2 P.M. under ambient light. Color referencesare primarily to The RHS Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Societyof London, England.

THE PLANT

Classification:

Botanical.--Pelargonium hortorum Bailey.

Commercial.--Zonal geranium.

Form: Upright bush.

Height: Seven and one half to nine and one half cm., as a 51/2 inch potplant, excluding blooms.

Growth: Vigorous.

Strength: Fast-rooting, free flowering plant, with good shipping abilityas rooted or unrooted cuttings.

Foliage: Abundant quantity.

Leaves:

Size.--Diameter about 6 cm.

Shape.--Rounded cordate with occasional upfolding between veins.

Margin.--Irregularly crenate.

Texture.--Leathery and pubescent on both surfaces, especially alongveins.

Ribs and veins.--Distinctly palmate, 3 to 4 cm. long.

Color.--Upper side: Green with light red zonation on the younger leavesfading to a dark green zone on the older leaves. Underside: Lightergreen color. Ribs and veins not prominently different from uppersurface.

Petioles: About 3 to 4 cm. in length.

THE BUD

Size:

Diameter.--About 8 mm.

Length.--About 1.5 cm. to 1.7 cm. at time of bud opening.

Shape: Pointed ovoid.

Color: Of petals when sepals first divide, RHS 33-B.

Sepals: Five in number, flat behind petals. Pointed linear lanceolate,RHS 144-B in an open flower.

THE FLOWER

Blooming habit: Continuous throughout the year.

Size: Approximately 4.5 cm. diameter, 1.0 cm. deep, irregularly radiallysymmetrical.

Form: Cup-shaped when bloom first opens, later flattening to shallow cupshape with maturity.

Petals: Five imbricate outer petals, 2.5-2.8 cm. wide and approximately2.5 cm. long. Four to seven inner smaller petaloids of varying shape.Both the outer petals and inner petaloids are salmon RHS 43-D and fadelighter to the outer margin, RHS 55-D. Veins slightly darker thaninterveinal regions. Color changing little with age. Underside of petalsare much lighter. Petals and petaloids soft and satiny.

Pedicel: Approximately 2.5-3.0 cm. in length.

Persistence: Nonshattering flower.

INFLORESCENSE

Type: An umbel composed of approximately 35 flowers, erect or laterallyascending.

Peduncle: Approximately 10-11.5 cm. in length.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens:

Anthers.--Seven-ten positioned below the mature stigma, dull red priorto anthesis.

Filaments.--White near base and mid length, graduating to dull red nearanther.

Pollen.--Orange in color.

Pistil:

Number.--One.

Length.--Approximately 6 mm.

Stigma.--Five or six linear lobes of near equal length, curling backtoward ovary, purplish-red.

Style:

Length.--About 3 mm., color: purplish-red.

Ovaries: At anthesis, densely pubescent with white hairs, oblong. Greendrying to a light brown at maturity.

Fruit: Partially fertile.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium substantially asherein shown and described, characterized by its green foliage,salmon/light salmon bi-color colored, semi-double flowers on largeumbels, the plant being fast-rooting and vigorous.